West Barwon Reservoir and Len Sprague Reservoir

The West Barwon Reservoir collects rainwater from the Barwon River and surrounds and is the main water storage for the Geelong region.

Located on the outskirts of Forrest, Len Sprague Reserve provides a carpark and BBQ/toilet facilties making it an ideal picnic location.

Walk along the dam wall to enjoy the view of the water, or head off to find Fern Gully.

Spillway

If you walk to the far end of the dam wall, you will have a view of the spillway. When the dam is at capacity, water flows over the spillway and joins back into the Barwon river. At other times, an outlet valve at the base of the spillway may release water into the Barwon river.

There is a footpath at the end of the dam wall that takes you down to the outlet valve. From there you can either walk back up the hill to the car park, or head along the river for an extended walk.

Walking Tracks

There are numerous walking tracks around this area. Once down at the base you can walk along either side of the river on fairly flat paths to Kaanglang Rd. There are a couple of bridges along the way which allow you to cross the river for a shorter loop.

Track 1 Forrest Loop also intersects with the walking track along the west side of the river but then heads back up into town via a steep hill where it joins back onto Hennigan Cres.

Birdwatching

This area is a great spot for birdwatching. Superb Fairy Wrens are common, as well as the Eastern Yellow Robin, Red Browed Finches, Kookaburras and more. Check out our guide to local birds on our Birdwatching page.